Silverware cleaning and washing machine



G. H. NORTH.

SILVERWARE CLEANING AND WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, I920. 1,376,3'7 9. Patented Apr. 26,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. H. NORTH.

SILVERWARE CLEANING AND WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1920- 1,376,379. Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WW Ma Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q QQQQQQ -53 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. NORTH, OF CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB TO GORHAM MANUFAC-TURING COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODEISLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'atented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed May 17, 1920. Serial No. 381,839.

To all whom it may concern: T

Be itknown that I, Gnonon H. hon'rrr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented new 2lI1(l 1lS(-.ftll Improvements in Silverware(leaning and \Vashing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in asilverware cleariing and washing machine, and it has for its primary aimand object to provide improved means for immersing the container for thesilverware in the liquid bath and agitating or vibrating the same whentherein to cause a thorough and more effective cleansing and washingaction.

The invention further resides in a plural container mechanism fordipping or immersing each container successively in a bath, effectingreciprocation of the containers therein, elevating the container fromthe bath and disposing it for being lowered into another bath, all in anautomatic manner and Without any attention from the operator except toremove the silverware or the basket containing the same at thecompletion of each cycle of movement.

The invention will further be found in the features of construction, andthe arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved machine embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical section taken at right angles thereto forfurther elucidatin the construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3'-3 of Fig. 1 depicting thedrive mechanism from another point of view, and

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 44 of Fig. 1 showing the tank andbasket arrangement.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the vertical shaft 1 isjournaled at its upper and lower ends in bearings 2 and 3, the upperbearing being arranged on the top frame work 4 which has a dependingshaft hanger 5 for supporting the drive shaft 6. This shaft is equippedat its outer end with tight and loose pulley 7 and 8 and on its innerend carries a worm 9 which meshes with a worm gear 10. fixed on acounter shaft 11, and this latter shaft is connected through bevelgearing 12 and intermediate shaft 12, and bevel gearing 12", to avertical shaft 13 that carries on its upper end a large gear wheel 14.The periphery of wheel 14 is smooth except for a small group of teeth 15which are adapted to mesh with one of a series of groups of teeth 16 ona smaller gear 17 for imparting to the latter a partial revolution, inthe present instance one'quarter turn. Between the groups of teeth 16extend four radial arms 18 adapted to overlie the larger gear wheel andbe engaged by a pin 19 thereon to impart slight movement to the smallergear sufiicient to bring the teeth 16 into mesh with teeth 15, as isobvious. The gear 17 is fixed on the shaft 1, and therefore, everyrevolution of gear 14 will effect a onequarter turn to the shaft.

A sleeve 20 is slidably splined at 21 on the shaft 1 and carries on itslower end four radial arms 22 having hooks 23 depending from their outerextremities for detachably suspending the wire baskets 24 which receivethe silver, or other ware, to be cleaned.

About the base of shaft 1 are arranged four tanks 25 for containing thechemical solutions or other cleansing liquids. One or more tanks may beelectrically connected to a source of electrical energy by conductor 26,and to a steam supply through heating pipes 27. A commutator 28 isfixedon shaft 1 for wiping a fixed contact 29 that is insulated from thetanks although supported therefrom by the superstructure 30, saidcommutator being connected through wiring 31 to the several suspensionhooks 23. Consequently upon lowering the baskets or other containersdown into the liquids in the tanks the several circuits will beestablished to cause the desired electro-chemical action.

Fixed on the vertically movable sleeve 20, above the arms 22. is accflar 32 which is supported antifrictionally upon a ring 33 havingtrunnions 34 journaled in the lower ends of a pair of links 35. A lever36 is fulcrumed at one end as indicated at 37, on the frame 4, andintermediate its ends, as at 38, the links are pivoted to the said leverso that the weight of the sleeve and baskets is carried by the lever. Acounter weight 39 is suspended on one end of a cable 40 which takes overa sheave 41 and is connected at its opposite end to the free end of thelever to thereby counter-act to a degree the load thereon.

A cam 42 is fixed on the shaft 11 for acting upon a follower arm 43provided on the lever in proximity to its fulcrum support. Obviously,movement of the lever by the cam imparted to the baskets and to accord avertical reciprocatory motion thereto the active peripheral face of thecam is provided with a series of undulations or, in other words, theperiphery of the cam presents a series of hills and dales for passingbeneath the follower arm 43. A lift projection 44 interrupts the seriesof undulations about the periphery of the cam for elevating the basketsout of the tanks, the dwell of the cam projection 44 being sufiicientlygreat to afford the operator time to remove one basket and replaceanother.

In operation, the one or more baskets containing the silverware is orare placed onthe hooks23, the heat supplying steam is turned into thecoils 27 for heating the required bath or baths, and the electriccircuit arranged for being closed upon the container coming into contactwith the bath. Through means of the wiring the silverware in the basket24 is connected as the cathode. The power is then turned on, as byshifting a driving belt from the loose to the light pulley, which startsthe rotation of the cam 42 and the gear wheel 14. As the follower arm 43rides down the lift projection 44 the lever 36 lowers the sleeve andsupported arms and containers so that the latter will become immersed inthe underlying baths. As the arm 43 rides over the series of undulationsthe basket-carrying frame will be accorded a like number of shortvertical reciprocations, thereby agitating both the bath and thesilverware to more thoroughly cleanse and wash the articles. Uponcompleting the riding over the series of undulations the arm thenascends the lift cam which results in elevating the baskets from thebaths, durcept as to the loading and unloading of the containers.Although four tanks are here depicted it is obvious that any number maybe utilized and a corresponding gear be substituted forgear 17 toadvance the baskets more or less than one quarter revolution. Two ormore vats or tanks may contain a mg a fixed fulcrum and rotatablyconnected to the support for raising and lowering the latter, meansacting upon the lever to raise and lower the support, and means forintermittently rotating the support.

2. In a machine for cleaning silverware, a vertically movable supporthaving a warecarrying arm on its lower end, a lever having a fixedfulcrum and rotatably connected to the support for raising and loweringthe latter, a gear connected to the support for rotating the same, andan interrupted gear adapted to intermesh with, the first gear forintermittently driving the same.

3. In a machine for cleaning silverware, a vertically movable supporthaving a warecarrying arm on its lower end, a lever having a fixedfulcrum and rotatably connected to the support for raising and loweringthe latter, a gear connected to the support for rotating the same, aninterrupted gear for intermittently driving the first gear, and meansfor bringing the gears into mesh with one another.

4. In a machine for cleaning silverware, a vertically movable supporthaving a warecarrying arm on its lower end, a lever having a fixedfulcrum and rotatably connected to the support for raising and loweringthe latter, means for intermittently rotating the support, and means forimparting oscillatory motion to the lever. v

5. In a machine for cleaning silverware, a vertically'movable supporthaving a warecarrying arm on its lower end, a lever having a fixedfulcrum and rotatably connected to the support for raising and loweringthe latter, means for intermittently rotating the support, and a camacting upon the lever to vibrate the same.

6. In a machine for cleaning silverware, a vertically movable supporthaving a warecarrying arm on its lower end, a lever having a fixedfulcrum and rotatably connected to the support for raising and loweringthe latter, means for intermittently rotating the support, and a camhaving a series of undulations and a. larger, lift projection forengaging the lever to successively vibrate and then lift theware-carrying arm.

7. In a silverware cleaning machine, a r0- tating support, a series oftanks thereabout one of which is grounded in one side of an electriccircuit, a commutator on the support, a fixed brush for connecting thecommutator to the other side of the circuit, a plurality ofware-carrying members rotatable with the supportand electricallyconnected to the commutator for successive connection with the brush,and means for raising and lowering the arms. from and into the tanks tothereby establish the electric circuit.

8. In a silverware cleaning machine, a rotating support, a series oftanks thereabout one of which is grounded in one side of an electriccircuit, a commutator on the support, a fixed brush for connecting thecommutator to the other side of the circuit, a plurality ofware-carrying members rotatable with the support and electricallyconnected to the commutator for successive connection with the brush,means for vibrating the arms to agitate the silverware when in the bathsof the tanks, and means for lowering and raising the silverware to andfrom the tanks.

9. In a cleanin machine, a rotary article carrier mounted or reciprocalmovement to and from a bath, means for intermittently moving the carrierto and from the bath, means for imparting rotary movement to the carrierduring the operation of said first means, and means operable during a.rest period of said first means for imparting a vibratory movement tothe carrier when in the bath.

10. In a cleaning machine, a cam having a raised rest section and arelatively lower active hill-and-dale section, a follower membercooperating with the cam sections, and

I a carrier raised and lowered by the cam through the follower memberand when lowered adapted to be vibrated by the hilland-dale section ofsaid cam.

11. In a cleaning machine, a cam having a raised rest section and arelatively lower active hill-and-dale section, a follower membercooperating with the cam sections, a. carrier raised and lowered by thecam through the follower member and when lowered adapted to be vibratedby the hilland-dale section of said cam, and means operable during theaction of the rest period of the cam for moving the carrier laterally.

12. In a cleaning machine, a rotary supporting shaft, acarrier-supporting sleeve, slidable thereon and adapted for supportingan article carrier for movement to and from a cleansing bath, means fdrsliding the sleeve on the shaft, and a connection between the sleeve andthe first means consisting of a collar encirclin the sleeve androtatably connected therewlth and a. link connection between the collarand said first means.

13. In a cleaning machine, a rotary supporting shaft, acarrier-supporting sleeve, slidable thereon and adapted for supportingan article carrier for movement to and from a cleansing bath, a cam forsliding the sleeve on the shaft, a follower lever coacting with the cam,a collar rotatably embracing the sleeve, and means connecting the leverto the collar.

14. In a cleaning machine, a rotary supporting shaft, acarrier-supporting sleeve, slidable thereon and adapted for supportingan article carrier for movement to and from a cleansing bath, a cam forsliding the sleeve on the shaft, a follower lever coacting with the cam,a collar rotatably embracing the sleeve, a connection between the collarand lever, and means for rotating the shaft.

15. In a cleaning machine, a rotary supporting shaft, acarrier-supporting sleeve.

slidable thereon and adapted for supporting an article carrier formovement to and from a cleansing bath, a cam for sliding the sleeve onthe shaft, a follower lever coacting with the cam, a collar rotatablyembracing the sleeve, a connection between, the collar and lever, a starwheel fixed on the shaft, and a pin wheel cooperating with the starwheel for rotating the shaft intermittently.

16. In a cleaning machine, a rotary supporting shaft, acarrier-supporting sleeve,

slidable thereon and adapted for supporting an article carrier formovement to and from a cleansing bath, a cam for sliding the sleeve onthe shaft, a follower lever (-oacting with the cam, a collar rotatablyembracing the sleeve, a connection between the collar and lever, a starwheel fixed on the shaft, and a pin wheel cooperating with the starwheel for rotating the shaft intermittently, said star wheel having gearteeth between its arms and said pin wheel havin a peripheral sectionprovided with cooperating gear teeth to move the succeeding arm of thestar wheel into the path of the pin on the pin wheel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. NORTH. Witnesses:

E. P. TOOMEY, J. A. MILLER.

